Telegraph switching apparatus



G. E. PRINCE TELEGRAPH SWITCHING APPARATUS Dec. 20, 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed 001;. 15, 1957 INVENTOP By G. E. PRINCE frL 6C? ATTORNEY Dec. 20, 1960 G. E. PRINCE TELEGRAPH SWITCHING APPARATUS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Oct. 15, 1957 //v l/EN TOP 6. E. PRINCE JmL- 56% ATTORNEY United States Patent 2,965,716 TELEGRAPH SWITCHING APPARATUS George E. Prince, San Francisco, Calif., assignor to American Telephone and Telegraph Company, a corporation of New York Filed Oct. 15, 1957, Ser. No. 690,327

4 Claims. (Cl. 178-33) This invention relates to printing telegraph receivers and particularly to signal responsive mechanisms in telegraph recorders.

A broad object of this invention is to provide a simple and reliable mechanism for telegraph receivers which is selectively responsive to received functional code signal combinations.

A further object of this invention is to provide a unitary and compact arrangement of a selective function mechanism assembly mounted at one location in a telegraph receiver which substantially increases the number of selective functions which may be performed in a given space in the receiver.

Another object of this invention is to provide a selective function mechanism assembly for a telegraph recorder, which mechanism will provide more functional operations than heretofore obtainable while reducing the space required by the selective function apparatus.

In a preferred embodiment, the telegraph receiver in which the signal responsive mechanism may be incorporated is of the type disclosed in Patent 1,904,164, granted April 18, 1933, to S. Morton et al. and the disclosure of Patent 1,904,164 is incorporated herein by reference as a part of this specification. In that patent there is disclosed a telegraph printer provided with a set of permutation code bars for selecting printing elements. These bars are controlled by a set of signal responsive selector vanes set in acordance with received code signal combinations. There is also provided a plurality of function plates to control the various functions of the telegraph receiver, such as spacing between words, line feed, carriage return, etc. Each function plate has an edge coded with an individual distinctive combination of notches in accordance with a particular assigned functional code signal combination. The plates are rotatably urged, in a limited arc, to present their coded edges to the selector vanes. When the encoded edge of a particular function plate is in proper registry with the selective encoded setting of the vanes identifying the individual function plates, the plate is permitted to rotate an additional distance and thereby actuates electrical contacts which control an individual circuit to perform a teletypewriter adjusting function, or stunt function as it is sometimes called, or a switching function, such as a called station identifying or other function.

In accordance with the present invention, all function plates are compactly mounted within the confines of a small space in the telegraph receiver and are secured on a common fixed support. A plurality of normally closed electrical contact sets are provided, one set for each individual function plate. Each contact set is disposed in a manner to permit operable engagement with an individual bar, integral with and projecting from its respective function plate. When a function plate registers with the setting of the selector vanes, the individual bar projecting from a plate engages an element of its corresponding contact set and operates the associated contact pair. In the .present, embodiment, the operation of a contact pair opens the contacts of the pair and, by utilizing electrical circuits as controls for appropriate functional compo nents, a selected circuit may be broken to enable or disable the operation of an associated functional component; It is, of course, to be understood that the contacts may be arranged in any desired manner and each set may comprise any desired combination.

Features of the present invention include:

Mounting the function plates on the common fixed support so that each is capable of independent forward and backward motion and providing intervening spacers to effectively isolate adjoining plates from frictional engagemerit, to afford a compact unitary laminated function plate assembly structure which includes all plates;

Mounting the electrical contact pairs on the common fixed support and providing an extension bar integral with and individual to each function plate, which bar extends at right angles from its individual plate toa position adjacent its respective contact set; and

Separating the electrical contact sets into a. plurality of groups with the units of each plurality arranged in a horizontal row, each row being offset vertically from the other and disposing the extension bars correspondingly.

It is particularly pointed out that one of the important aspects of the present invention is the arrangement of the stratified function plates so that the individual contact operating bar of each may extend laterally to a position adjacent its respective contact set. i

A more complete understanding of the invention will be had from the following description considered inconjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional view of the receiving and selecting portion of the telegraph receiver into which the present invention has been incorporated;

Fig. 2 is a schematic perspective view of part of the control mechanism for the function mechanism assembly; and

Fig. 3 is an exploded schematic perspective View of the function mechanism assembly.

Referring now to the drawings and particularly to Fig. 1, the reference numeral 9 indicates a selector magnet which is responsive to received telegraph code signal Combinations. The magnet has an armature 12 fixed to lever 13 which is pivotally supported at 14. The free end of lever 13, which is T-shaped, cooperates with the rear end of a plurality of sword levers 22, one of which is shown in Fig. 1. As is fully disclosed in the Morton et al, patent, the sword levers 22 are pivotally connected, asat 125, to associated bell cranks 19. Bell cranks 19, pivoted at 29, are successively rocked in a counterclockwise direction, once each receiving cycle, by cams 25, one of which is shown in Fig. 1. Cams 25 are frictionally mounted on a power-driven shaft 26. a

When bell cranks 19 are rocked in a counterclockwise direction, sword levers 22 secured thereto are shifted to the left, as seen in Fig. 1, and are rocked into a counterclockwise or clockwise position, depending upon the position of armature lever 13 as determined by selector magnet 9. When sword levers 22 are shifted to the right by bell cranks 19 as the bell cranks are restored by their individual springs 21, the sword levers engage and rock associated T levers 30 into a clockwise or counterclockwise position, depending upon the relative position into which the sword levers 22 have been rocked. The T levers 30 are connected by means of disc and slot con nections 31 to individual selector vanes 32 that are pivot ally mounted as at 33. Accordingly, selector vanes 32 are rocked into a clockwise or counterclockwise position in accordance with the relative position into which T levers 30 have been rocked.

In addition to the five selector vanes 32, there is a sixth vane 34. This vane is not controlled by individually received signal impulses as are the vanes 32, but is controlled incident to the movement of the receiving printer into the shift and unshift positions, as disclosed in the above-mentioned Morton et a1. patent. When the receiving printer is moved into the shift, or figures, condition, thesixth vane 34 is locked to its counterclockwise position as is shown in Fig. 1 and it remains in this position until the receiving printer is restored to the unshift, or letters, condition.

A printing cam 43 carried by shaft 26 is engaged by a roller 45, best seen in Fig. 2, carried by a lever 46 which is pivotally supported by rock shaft 41. The upper end of lever 46 supports abutment screw 47 which engages the right-hand one of operating arm blades 56 as viewed in Fig. 1. Operating arm blades 50 support the printing bail, not shown, and in turn are supported by printing bail operating arm 40.

Operating arm is mounted on rock shaft 41 and cam 43 operates through lever 46 to force operating arm blades 50 and operating arm 40 into a counterclockwise position. As cam 43 is rotated by shaft 26, a rapid dropon of the cam surface, once for each cycle of shaft 26, permits spring 42 to rock printing bail operating arm 46 sharply in a clockwise direction to effect the printing operation. For the remainder of the cycle of shaft 26, cam.43 restores operating arm 40 to the counterclockwise position. Integral with arm 46 is bracket which carries function selection control rod 56. Function selection control rod 56, shown in Figs. 2 and 3, is moved upwardly as operating arm 40 rotates in a counterclockwise direction and downwardly as operating arm 40 rocks in a clockwise direction during the printing opera- ,tion.

The function selection control rod 56 extends through an opening in the upper portion of each function plate 100, through 107 as seen in Fig. 3. Function plates liiil through 107 are provided with three laterally elongated slots 64 to mount the function plates on three support rods 62 and to permit lateral displacement of the function plates from front to rear. The three support rods 62 and the formed support plate 70 comprise a unitary rigid structure on which the function plates 101 through 167 and the contact group assemblies are mounted. Also rnountedon support rods 62 are intervening spacers 63 which separate the function plates to permit independent slidingmotion of the closely spaced plates. Slots 64 in 'function plates 100 through 107 thus permit front and rear sliding motion of the function plates, allowing them .to be presented to selector vanes 32 and 34, and to register with the selector vanes as hereinafter described. The forward motion of the function plates is normally prevented by function selection control rod 56 when it is in .an upward position through engagement with cammed surface 75. When function selection control rod 56 is moved to its downward position, as previously described, it disengages from surface 75 of each of function plates 100-through 107 to permit springs 65 to draw all of the associated function plates forward for a limited distance .to, present the forward edge of each of the function plates to selector vanes 32 and 34 as viewed in Fig. 1. To anticipiate, when function selection control rod 56 is returned to its upward position, it cooperates with camming surface 75,0f function plates 100 through 107 to withdraw the function plates from engagement with selector vanes 32 and 34 and slide the function plates back to their rearward positions.

The front edges of the function plates which are presented to selector vanes 32 and 34 are provided with a plurality of rectangular projections 70. These projections are removable, that is to say, they may be readily broken off to provide notched depressions for registry with the selector vanes in their clockwise or counterclockwise position in accordance with an individual permutation code combination to which each function plate is to be responsive. When the selected function plate, upon being permitted to slide forward a limited distance by disengagement from function selector control rod 56 and the action of its spring 65, finds no selector vane blocking its projections, it will slide further forward than the non-selected function plates and, in its extreme forward position, will perform or initiate its assigned function. As viewed in Fig. 3, function plate has been coded to be responsive to the FIGURES signal when the printer is in the shift or figures condition. The function levers can obviously be coded to register with any other selective positioning of the selector vanes by removing appropriate break-off projections.

Function lever support rods 62 are secured to formed plate 70 at 72. Support plate 70 may be bolted to the printer frame throgh apertures such as 71. Also mounted on plate 70 are electrical contact sets or pairs 120 through 127. The electrical contact pairs 12% through 127 are provided with contact springs 83, electrical contacts 81, which may be make, break, transfer, continuity or other contacts, and electrical circuit connectors 82. Electrical contact pairs 124 through 127 are compactly aligned im- 7 mediately adjacent and parallel to the function plates and collectively mounted on common support plate 70 at 90. Electrical contact pairs 120 through 123 are compactly aligned adjacent and parallel to the function plates on the common support in a similar manner to electrical contact pairs 124 through 127 with the exception that electrical contact pairs 120 through 123 are collectively mounted on support plate 70 at 91 offsetting electrical contact pairs 120 through 123 below electrical contact pairs 124 through 127 as viewed in Fig. 3. Additional aligned electrical contact pairs can, of course, be readily added, if additional electrical contact pairs are required, by collectively mounting the additional sets on support plate 70 in a similar manner to electrical contact pairs 120 through 127 by offsetting the adidtional sets below the existing'electrical contact pair's.

Integral with function plates 100 through 1G7 and extending from each at a right angle thereto is an individual contact operating bar or extension pin through 117, each of which extends laterally from its particular function plate to its contact spring, such as spring 83 of associated electrical contact pairs through 127. As shown in Fig. 3, extension pins 110 through 113, connected to function plates 100 through 103, are offset below extension pins 114 through 117 and extend to the contact springs of the lower group of electrical contact pairs 120 through 123 and the upper group of extension pins 114 through 117' extend to the contact springs of the upper group of electrical contact pairs 124 through 127. Where additional function plates are required, they may be mounted on support rods 62 to the left of function plate 166, as viewed in Fig. 3, and their associated extension pins can be readily disposed below the existing extension pins described above in the preferred embodiment.

When a. function plate is released by function selection control rod 56 to slide forward under the urging of spring 65 and engages selector vanes 32 and 34, and its depressed coded edge registers with the selective positioning of selector vanes 32 and 34, permitting the function plate to slide further forward, the extension pin extending from the function plate operably engages the contact spring of its asociated electrical contact pair to open the electrical contacts of the contact pair.

As an illustration of a function which may be performed by a function bar and its associated elements, it is sometimes desirable to automatically stop the motor of the telegraph printer in response to a receiver upper case FIGURES signal code combination, i.e., a FIGURES signal code combination received while the printer is in the shift condition. When the selector vanes are selectively positioned by a received upper case FIGURES signal code combination, function plate 100, upon being. urged forward, will register with the selective positioning ofthe selector vanes and therefore slide forward more than the other function plates as heretofore described. Extension pin 110 of function plate 101? thereupon operably engages contact spring 83 of electrical contact pair 120 thereby opening electrical contacts 81 of electrical contact set 120. To perform the function of stopping printer motor 95, seen in Fig. 3, motor supply circuit 94 of printer motor 95 may be connected to electrical circuit connectors 82 of electrical contact pair 120 completing the motor supply circuit via normally closed electrical contacts 81. When contact spring 83 of electrical contact pair 120 is operably engaged by extension pin 110 thereby opening electrical contacts 81 of electrical contact pair 120 in response to a received upper case FIGURES signal code combina tion, motor supply circuit 94 is broken stopping motor 95.

The employment of the upper case FIGURES code combination to perform the function of stopping the motor circuit is by way of illustration only and is not to be interpreted as limiting the invention to any particular telegraph receiver function or any function code combination or combinations thereof. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the specific embodiment described herein is capable of modification and rearrangement without departing from the spirit of the invention and within the scope of the appended claims.

Attention is particularly directed to the compactness of the combined function plate and contact assembly as best shown in Fig. 3. In this figure seven plates 101 through 107 are shown arranged in what appears to be and is in efiect essentially a substantially solid pile. The functional plates are in fact relatively thin laminations and the spacers 63 are also thin. The contact actuating elements are preferably circular in section of small diameter, reed-like in relation to the other elements. The two contact assemblies, also, are small and compact and neatly disposable on the supporting structure. The arrangements of the present invention contrasts markedly with presently known arrangements such as are exemplified by the mechanical structures described in the Morton et al. Patent 1,904,164.

What is claimed is:

1. In a printing teletypewriter, a plurality of selector vanes, selector means for selectively positioning said selector vanes, a fixed support, a plurality of parallel fiat plates slidably mounted on said fixed support, each of said plates including an extended flat surface which includes the greatest dimensions of said plate and an edge thereof for registry with a selective positioning of said selector vanes, urging means associated with said plates for slidably urging the edges of said plates into engagement with said selector vanes, a plurality of electrical contact pairs mounted on said fixed support, and a lateral extension projecting from said flat surface of each of said plates to each of said contact pairs to effect operable engagement with one of said contact pairs when the edge of the associated plate, upon being urged into engagement with said selector vanes, registers with the selective positioning of said selector vanes.

2. In a printing teletypewriter, a plurality of selector vanes, selector means for selectively positioning said selector vanes, a fixed support, a plurality of parallel flat plates slidably mounted on said fixed support, each of said iates including an extended flat surface which includes the greatest dimensions of said plate and an edge thereof for registry with a selective positioning of said selector vanes, urging means associated with said plates for slidably urging the edges of said plates into engagement with said selector vanes, a plurality of vertically disposed groups of electrical contact pairs mounted. on said fixed support and aligned parallel and adjacentto said plates and lateral extensions projecting from said flat surfaces of said plates to said contact pairs to effect operable engagement with one of said contact pairs when the edge of the associated plate, upon being urged into engagement with said selector vanes, registers with the selective positioning of said selector vanes.

3. In a printing teletypewriter, a plurality of selector vanes, selector means for selectively positioning said selector vanes, a fixed support, a plurality of parallel flat plates slidably mounted on said fixed support, a plurality of intervening spacers mounted on said fixed support, each of said plates including an extended flat surface which includes the greatest dimension of said plate and a plurality of break-oif projections along an edge thereof for coding same, urging means for slidably urging the said edge of each plate into engagement with said selector vanes, a plurality of vertically disposed groups of electrical contact pairs mounted on said fixed support and aligned parallel and adjacent to said plates and a plurality of vertically disposed groups of lateral extension pins projecting from said flat surfaces of said plates to said contact pairs to effect operable engagement with one of said contact pairs when the coded edge of the associated plate, upon being urged into engagement with said selector vanes, registers with the selective positioning of said selector vanes.

4. In a permutation code signal telegraph receiver, a laminated assembly of functional code plates, comprising a closely compacted plurality of flat plates having extended fiat surfaces in mutually coextensive and parallel relationship, means for selectively displacing said plates laterally in response to received code signal combinations, an individual contact operating bar integral to each plate and disposed at right angles from said flat surface of its respective plate, and individual contacts actuable by each bar responsive to said selective displacement.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,151,216 Potts Aug. 24, 1915 1,904,164 Morton et al Apr. 18, 1933 2,437,790 Roth Mar. 16, 1948 

